


No Control

by sillyboyblue



Category: The Hitcher (1986)
Genre: Gen, High School AU, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-18 14:29:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9389255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sillyboyblue/pseuds/sillyboyblue
Summary: John would rather hurt himself than anybody else.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vanfu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanfu/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Impulses](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9386357) by [Vanfu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanfu/pseuds/Vanfu). 



John's impulses had gotten worse, but he did not speak a word of it to Jim. They would frighten him and he would not want to have anything to do with him anymore. He loved Jim's family more than his own, and he loved Jim more than himself. 

That is why, when he showed up at school one day with blood all over his sleeve, he tried to hide it from Jim. The kid was oblivious until lunchtime came.

As soon as he noticed he grabbed John's arm hard enough to make him hiss.

"What have you done ?"

John pulled away and held his arm to his chest. Jim's voice grew softer.

"Whose blood is that...?"

John could not help but feel safe around Jim. There was something about the kid.

"Mine."

Jim immediately leaned over the table to check John's forearm again.

"Are you hurt ?"

John finished his plate and got up from the bench.

"Meet me outside. I'll tell you more."

Jim quickly gobbled up his desert to find John waiting for him at the door.

"I'm here. You have to tell me more."

John rolled up his sleeve to reveal cuts that were still bleeding. Jim gasped in horror as he unwrapped his scarf from his neck and tied it around John's forearm. Hopefully the fabric was soft.

"Did you do this to yourself ?!"

Jim sounded mad. John looked like he had been stricken when he nodded.

"Oh John..."

They decided to skip school to go to Jim's house to treat John's wounds. Mrs Halsey was about to scold them when she saw them, but she ushered them into the house when she noticed the blood on John's shirt.

"What happened, darling ?"

Mrs Halsey loved John : he was always kind and polite, and he was Jim's only friend at his new school.

John relucantly rolled his sleeve up for Mrs Halsey to see.

"Did you do this to yourself, sweetheart ?"

"Yes, he did." Jim answered for John.

Mrs Halsey applied biseptine to John's wounds and wrapped a bandage around his forearm.

"Why didn't you go to the nurse's office ?"

The three of them were sitting on the couch and John had a warm cup of tea in his hands.

"She would tell my parents and they would send me away."

They all knew what John meant.

"Would you like to sleep for a while, dearie ? You can take Jim's bed."

John accepted Mrs Halsey's offer and disappeared upstairs. Jim was about to join him when his mother stopped him. 

"Not you. You go back to school."

Jim worried about John for the rest of the day. He even failed a test. He ran on the way back to his house and raced upstairs.

John was still asleep under the covers. Jim dared not disturb him and did his homework in his brother's room.

He smiled. He knew John would be okay.


End file.
